Hats off to Nam Chiew, where fireflies light the sky!

Looking for a local soft adventure? Just follow the fireflies to Nam Chiew community based tourism, for a boat ride within the Mangrove forest amidst thousand of fireflies.

What can you experience?

Walk in the mangrove

In Nam Chiew village, Trad province, head off on brightly painted wooden boats to explore pristine mangroves, protected with love by local conservationists and the CBT Youth Club!

Your day begins travelling along the Nam Chiew canal, through the village, into the mangroves and coastal area. You can observe local fishers, and try your hand catching fish and shell fish.

In the afternoon, you can return to the village to meet local craftspeople who have maintained the tradition of making Ngop hats, light, comfortable, wide brimmed sun hats made from nipa palm. Modern variations on the classic theme include fashionable designs for every sized head!

You can even participate in local conservation activities by planting trees or collecting garbage in the canals; while learning more about the connections local people have with the waterways.

Dinner is often eaten communally, with several homestay families. After dinner, the long-awaited magic moment arrives, with a starlight ride to admire fireflies flickering happily by the waterside. This is a particularly good spot to see fireflies, due to the success of local conservation efforts.

The community has also established a Mangrove Nature Education Centre, offering study tours on mangrove conservation and teaching students how to utilize the potential of mangroves.

How does it help?

Nam Chiew community based tourism grew from collaboration between community groups, the tourism industry and environmental organizations. Community members in Nam Chiew decided to develop CBT in order to increase income for local people; raise environmental awareness; preserve local culture, traditions and life style; and contribute towards reducing global warming.

The community has established various groups, which divide their roles and responsibilities, and work on a variety of initiatives. For example, the “Sai Lab Ruk Nam Chiao” (Spies who love Nam Chiew!) focus on mangrove conservation, and a Waste Bank project that educates local people about eco-tourism and waste reduction in their communities. Other activities include planting trees, collecting and sorting garbage and making ‘EM’ balls, which help to improve water quality. Local groups are also able to provide information and training on nature conservation.

The Mangrove Nature Education Centre, established as a partnership between Nam Chiew municipality and the Mangrove Forest Development Office, has helped the community to share their experiences with villages around Thailand. Active involvement of local youth has particularly promoted student and youth participation in mangrove conservation and restoration.